Paper-clip.



.l. S. WRIGHT.

PAPER CLIP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1915.

120,155. 4 Patented 0%. 3,1916.

I 71/57/05 avws x5. v

JAMES STANLEY WEIGHT, 0]? vMIDDLESBORO, KENTUCKY.

PAPER-CLIP.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Oct. 3, 1916,

. Application filed June 28, 1915. Serial No. 36,876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES STANLEY WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Middlesboro, county of Bell, State of Kentucky, have invented an Improvement in Paper-Clips, of which the fol- I lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to clips for holding together with a friction grip a plurality of sheets such as sheets of paper.

A prime object is to provide a paper clip that may be readily and cheaply formed of wire stock and having as important attributes large holding capacity, and ease of attachment.

A further object .is to provide an improved construction wherein the clampingparts are adapted without distortion to hold securely and reliably either a few or'a large number of sheets, having thus'a wide range a as to capacity and the construction being such that the clamping parts remain substantially parallel whatever be the'thickness of sheets clamped within the holding range of the device. 7

A still further object is to provide an improved clip of this type having flattened ends facilitating the application of the clip and avoiding perforation of the paper.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation showing my improved clip; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the clip in use holding a number of sheets of paper together.

The present clip may be made of wire stock similar to that used for paper clips generally. A suitablelength of such stock being provided, a central portion thereof is bent to a V-sha'pe as indicated at 10, the sides of this V- form extending to a length preferably nearly equal to the depth dimension of the clip in use, and the wire stock being thence turned inward at an acute angle from each leg of this \I-shaped portion as indicated at 11, 12, forming ams 13, 14, that extend inward in. opposite directions and cross each other. These arm portions 13, 14

extend to near the bends 12, 11, respectively,

where they are again bent downward as 1ndicated at 15, 16 respectively, to form somewhat obtuse angles and present legs 17, 18 extending in behind the respective sides of the V-shaped portion 10 and normally held in spring pressed engagement therewith by the spring bias of the several parts of the device. The legs 17, 18 preferably have their extremities flattened as indicated at 19 so that the edges of the paper sheets may be more readily inserted and liability of perforating or tearing the paper avoided. I also preferably extend the-legs 17, 18 downward somewhat beyond the apex 10 of the central V-shaped portion so that the points 19 may be first engaged with the sheets, and as the clip is moved toward the sheets, they may be more conveniently depressed beneath the apex of the V-shaped portion after the ends 19 are well engaged therewith.- It. may now beunderstoodthat the sheets of paper 8 to be clamped are inserted between the V-shaped portion 10 and the legs 17, 18, and will be held gripped securely therebetween. It is to be noted that the device is capable of holding a relatively large number of sheets, reliably-since the resilient efiect of each of the legs 17, 18'is the cumulative result of its own resiliency together with that of the respective arms 13, let, and also the side of the V-sha'ped portion 10 to which it is attached. Since a pressing out of either of the clamping legs, 6. 9., the leg 17 to receive the paper sheets transmits pressure through the intermediate arm 18 to the side of the V-shaped portion 10 to which it is attached, it follows that the more the respective legs 17, 18 are pressed out to hold a greater thickness of sheets, the morethe cooperative clamping sides of the V-shaped portion 10,

will be pressed oppositely thus attaining an equalized but cumulatively stronger friction grip as the thickness of sheets clamped is increased. It is to be further notedthat the legs 17, 18 are approximatelyparallel to the respective sides of the V-shaped portion 10 to which they are attached and that the as semblage of clamping portions thus provided causes the cooperative clamping parts to remain substantially parallel whatever be the thickness of sheets clamped. A prime distinguishing characteristic of the present clip is therefore that there is practically no distortion of the clamping parts within the wide range of capacity for which the 011p may be usedbut even with a relatively great thickness of sheets clamped, the opposing clamping portions are pressed substantially flatwise and in parallelism throughout their extent upon the respective sides of the paper.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise outline and details herein exhibited and therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative, and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description, to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apaper clip, comprising a wire piece bent to form a central V-shape'd portion with arms extending from the extremities of said portionat acute angles in opposite directions at an angle ,to each other, whereby they cross each other to a point adjacent the opposite acute angles, and thence bent downward with ends spaced apart substantially from each other and from the central V bend to constitute clamping .legs in position to op pose said central t -shaped portion and cooperate therewith for clamping sheets'together.

2. A paper clip, comprising a wire piece to produce the central portion with diverging sides, arms extending from the extremities of said sides in opposite directions, and

at an angle to each other whereby they cross each other, and legs extending downward from said arms in position to oppose said central portion and cooperate therewith for clamping paper sheets, the ends of said legs being substantially spaced from said central portion and from each other.

3. A paper clip, comprising a wire piece bent to produce acentral portion with diverging sides, arms extending from the extremities of said sides in opposite directions and at an angle to'each otherand crossing each other, and legs extending in diverging relation .at obtuse angles downward "from said arms .in position to oppose said central portion, and substantially spaced laterally therefrom to cooperate therewith for clamp ing paper sheets.

4. A paper clip, comprising a wire piece formed with a ,V-shaped central portion with arms extendingfro-m the ends of the sides thereof in opposite directions to each other and at an angle to each other whereby they cross each other, arid legs extending in diverging relation at obtuseangles'from said arms, substantially spaced from said V- shaped central'portion to cooperate there with for clamping sheets, ,the ends of said legs being flattened for-the purpose statec In testimony whereoffI have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES STANLEY WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by-a'dd-ress-i1 rg the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, DQ-Gl 

